Pneumatic vehicle window device



Feb. l2,y 1935. G. wADDEY PNEUMATIC VEHICLE WINDOW DEVCE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1955 Feb.l 12, 1935. G, WADDY 1,990,624

PNEUMATIG VEHICLE wINDow DEVICE Filed Aug.' 25,'1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1935 I 1,990,624 'i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PNEUMATIC VEHICLE WINDOW DEVICE George I. Waddey, Nashville, Tenn. Application August 23, 1933, vSerial No. 686,472

4 Claims. (ci. 268-125) This invention relates in general to automotive Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device includvehicle accessories, and more particularly has ing only fragmentary views of the door and reference to a pneumatic window device. showing the valve and a cylinder in section.

Previous to this time the windows of automo- Fig. 3 is a top view of the supplemental latch 5 biles or other vehicles such as airplanes have cusadapted to act in conjunction with the valve 5 tomarily been adapted to be wound up and down handle for mechanically xing a window in the through hand operated levers. This is a tedious closed position. and sometimes dicult operation, and when the Referring more particularly bynumerals to the parts of these hand operated mechanisms become drawings in Which the Same and Similar elements I0 worn it is very often diilcult or impossible to fix are designated by like symbols of reference 1o a window in a completely closed position. lhroughllt. and lnOIe especially t0 Fig- 1, there iS While pneumatic devices have been provided shown a conventional door of any type of vehicle heretofore for lopening and closing vehicle wincomprising a '50D and bOtlOm 1 and 2 and Sides 3 dows these have generally proved ineffective in and 4- The '60D portion iS Open fOI 010Sng With practice. The principal disadvantage which has a pane 0f glass 5 and the bOVOIn POItOn iS COV- 15 attended such devices is that some have been so ered aS at 6- The glass pane 5 iS, 0f G01-irse.` complex of assembly as not to .be feasible for adapted to Slide from the bottom DOIOn t0 the actual use. Further, the same have not provided top portion in the usual manner. for xing a window in a closed position which i My invention contemplates the provision of an nd is essential to lend practicality to such strucapparatus fOr pneumateally raising end 10Werng 20 tures. the glass pane and fixing the glass pane when An object of this invention is to provide a fully raised, apart from the pneumatic apparatus pneumatic device for closing the windows of but operable therewith. automotive Vehicles or the like, In accordance with my invention the pane 5 is l Another object of this invention is to provide adapted to be raised through the action of a lever 25 a pneumatic device for opening and closing the 7 having a roller 8 pivoted on the end thereof windows of automotive vehicles or the like in through a Din 9. The 1011e1 8 iS ted in a guide which a window when closed is fixed in position l0 xed to the underside of a window channel apart from the pneumatic action of the device. 11 in which the bottoni edge 0f the pane 5 iS A further object of this invention is to provide ted- When the Window iS fully Open the chan- 30 a pneumatic device for opening and closing the nel 11 is adapted to rest on brackets l2 and 13 Windows of automotive vehicles or the like, simple acting as bottom stops. of construction and economical of manufacture, The top end of the lever 7 is pivoted on a which will function electively and practically. bracket 14 through a pin 15. The bracket 14 is With these and other objects in view, whichY fixed to the door by bolts 16 and is adapted to 35 may be incident to my improvements, the invenhave a valve assembly to be later more fully detionconsists in the parts and combinations to scribed mounted thereon. 4It will be appreciated be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the that the pane 5 may be raised by pushing up on understanding that .the several necessary elethe lever 7. I provide a pneumatic arrangement ments comprising my invention may be varied in for effecting this action.

construction, proportions and arrangements, This, as is better shown in Fig. 2 comprises a without deparitng from the spirit and scope of cylindrical air casing 17 for tting in an upright the appended claims. position in a base portion 18 seated on a bottom In order to make my invention more clearly frame member 19 of the door. A piston 2O carunderstood, I have shown in the accompanying ryng a rod 21 on the top thereof is` adapted to 45 drawings means for carrying the same into pracoperate in the cylinder 17 which is provided with tical effect without limiting the improvements a top closure 22 having a central collaredaper- -in their useful applications to the particular conture for accommodating the rod 21. A frame structions, which, for the purpose of explanation, member 23 is mounted on the top of the rod for 5 have been made the subject of-illustration. carrying a top roller 24 and two side rollers 25 50 In the drawings: and 26, each rotatably mounted on the frame Fig. 1 is a view of a vehicle door from the inside member by pins 27. The peripheries of the rollers (with the covering cut away) showing my device are channeled and the lower edge of the lever 7 and its manner of installation, and operation in is adapted to ride in the peripheral channel in 5 phantol'i. the top roller 24. 55

The cylinder 1'7 is adapted to receive 'air under pressure introduced through a-flexible inlet line 28 as shown in Fig. 1, from any suitable source, for example, a pressure tank (not shown) in which air is maintained under a desirable pressure by apump operated through the power plant of the vehicle. The line is connected to a coupling 29' which is jointed to a line 30, communicating with a two way valve 31, as shown in Fig. 2. The valve casing is mounted on the bracket 14 and provided with an inlet 32 and outlets 34 and 35, the line 30 being connected to the inlet 32. Air

under pressure introduced into the valve 31 by communicating therewith which is connected to the cylinder seat 18, and passes into the cylinder through a-communicating aperture 37 provided in the seat opening in a central well 39 therein. 'I'his will drive the piston upward and thereby raise the lever 7 to'close the window which will remain closed as long as the pressurev is maintained.

The lever 7 is adapted to be raised under the tension of a spring 40 wound around the pin 15 for pivoting the lever, having its ends fixed in the bracket 14-,and lever respectively. When the pressure in the cylinder is released, the lever and pane will be allowed to `draw downward under the force of gravity but resisted, however, by the tension of the spring which, while sufficient enough to prevent the pane from dropping. The spring is provided to prevent the pane from falling and thereby becoming damaged or broken. There will also be a cushioning effort exerted on the pane by the air being forced out of the lower portion of the cylinder.

The valve. casing 31, as already explained, contains a valve element 43. This is adapted to be manipulated to connect the inlet lines 30 and 36, as described, to raise the pane.v `When it is desired to lower the pane, the valve is manipulated to connect the line 36 with the outlet` to waste 35, in which position the inlet line 30 is closed. The pane is thus allowed to drop under the force of. gravity with the exhausting air in the cylinder acting as a cushion. In the position shown in Fig. 2fr the inlet lines 30 and 36 are connected, sor that the pane will be raised. `A handle 44 as shown in Fig. 1 is provided for operating the valve.

A pair of spaced upright guides 45 and 46 extend on each side of the cylinder from the bottom frame member 19 to a top-frame member 49. The side rollers 25 and 26 carried by the piston rod run on such members 45 and 46 and are guided thereby.

When the pane is fully raised, and the window is closed, it will be held by the pressure in the cylinder. In order to insure maintaining the window closed in the event of pressure failure, or slight leakage, I provide a catch 50 as shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihis is pivoted to the side 3 of the door and is provided with an angular integral arm 51. I'he catch 50 is adapted to press against the pane 5 and catch under the pane when it is fully raised by a spring v52 iitted between" the side 1 and the end of the lever 51. The end of the lever 51 is adapted to be pressed by one end of a rocker arm 53, better shown in Fig. 1, 'to release the catch 50, and allow the pane 5 tov be drawn downwardly. The arm 53 is pivoted to the frame member 49 by a pin 54 and the lower end connected by an arm. 55 to the top of the valve handle 44 s that 'the catch 5o 'is automatically released when the valve handle is manipulated to eiect lowering of the window.

The door 1 is shown provided with .a conventional latch Vmechanism 56 with a catch 57 operable through a lever -connected to the latch mechanism through arms 59 and 60.

'I'he operation of my pneumatic window opening and closing device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. When pane 5 is in the closed position as illustrated in phantom in Fig. 1, the piston in the cylinder will be held raised under pressure to maintain the window closed, in which position it will also be positively held by the catch 50.

When it is desired to lower the pane to open the window, the valve handle 44 is manipulated to connect the line 36 to waste through the outlet 34. This action releases the catch 50 so that the pane is allowed to drop against the tension of the spring 40, and cushioned by the air being driven out of the cylinder below the piston 20.

To raise the pane to close the window the valve handle 44 is manipulated to connect the pressure lines 30 and 36 `as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the pane is raised by pressure, and when fully raised it is caught and positively supported by the catch 50.

There is accomplished by this invention a pneumatic device for lowering or raising the ywindows in automotive vehicles or others in to retard the action of opening, is not great which a window may be raised under air pressure and held in the raised position mechanically, as well as lowered against spring tension on a pneumatic cushion. l

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I Wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of' construction herein set forth, by way of illustration,l as it is apparent that many changes and'variations may be made therein, by those skilled inthe art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:y

1. A pneumatic device for opening and closing vehicle windows comprising a lever for raising the window, an air cylinder provided with a piston and rod for raising the lever, the said piston rod provided on its free end with a rotatable roller adapted to bear against the lever and with similar rollers adapted to travelv on supports in order to guide and support the piston rod, and means to control the vintroduction andr withdrawal oi airl to and from the cylinder.

2. A pneumatic device for opening and closing vehicle windows comprising a lever pivoted at one end and having its other end in sliding engagement witl the base of the window, an air cylinder provided with a piston and piston rod, said cylinder being positioned between two' upright supports, a rotatable and channeled roller at the free end of the piston rod adapted to bear againstJ the lever, other rollers mounted on the piston rod and adapted to bear against the supports, and means to control the admission and withdrawal of air to and from the cylinder.

3. A pneumatic device for opening and closing vehicle windows comprising a lever for raising the window, said lever being pivoted at one end to a stationary support and at the other end maintained in constant engagement with the window, an air cylinder provided with a piston and rod for raising the lever, the said piston rod provided on its free end with a rotatable roller adapted to bear against:` the lever and with similar rollers adaptedlto travel on supports in order to guide and support the piston rod, and means to control the introduction and withdrawal of air to and 'ton and rod for raising the lever, the said piston rod provided on its free7 end with a rotatable roller adapted to bear against the lever and with similar rollers adapted to travel on supports in order l to guide and support the piston rod, means to;

control the introduction and withdrawal of air to and from the cylinderfa latch adapted tore- Vsiliently b ear against the pane of the window dur-c ing raising thereof, means for urging the latch beneath the window pane when the latter isin I raised position, and means for releasing the latch A when the piston is lowered within the cylinder.

l GEORGE I. WADDEY. 

